Program

Composer Work Year
Franz Schubert Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118 1814
Samuel Barber Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24 1947
Franz Schubert An die Musik, D. 547 1817
Nachstuck, D. 672 1819
Johannes Brahms Heimweh (Longing for home), Op. 63:7–9 1874
Intermission
Francis Poulenc La Courte Paille (The short straw), FP 178 1960
Aaron Copeland Laurie’s Song (aria from The Tender Land) 1954
Charles Ives Songs My Mother Taught Me 1895
Margaret Bonds “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand”
George Hubbard Miller Rumstikka Fumadiddle 1980

Full Program (PDF)

About the Artists

Emma Robertson

Emma Robertson

Soprano Emma Robertson earned a bachelors degree in Music Performance from the University of Georgia and a masters degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music.

Emma resides in Boston with her lovely boyfriend and their two cats. She teaches her own students, performs at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church, and studies privately with Michael Meraw.

James Lorusso

James Lorusso

An eager collaborator with extremely diverse musical interests, pianist James Lorusso has experience in a wide range of settings and genres. During his undergraduate work at Ithaca College, he took advantage of all the opportunities available to him, participating in masterclasses with Boris Berman, Piotr Anderszewski, and Paul Lewis, and exploring everything from jazz ensembles to chamber music. For three years, he was also the collaborative pianist for the Ithaca College Choir, joining the group for its Lincoln Center tour and its performance at the ACDA National Conference.

James attended Brevard Music Center and the New Orleans Piano Institute (NOPI) where he was awarded 3rd prize in the solo piano competition and an honorable mention in the concerto competition. At McGill University, he was also a finalist in the school’s piano concerto competition. James is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Honors Society, and a recipient of the PKL certificate of honor.

Currently, James works as a freelance pianist in the greater Boston area and attends the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studies collaborative piano under Cameron Stowe and Jonathan Feldman and regularly performs in the school’s Liederabend series. James holds bachelors and masters degrees in piano performance from Ithaca College and McGill University.